What are hydrogels?
A hydrogel consists of a three-dimensional network of flexible polymer chains that can hold and immobilize a large amount of water or aqueous solution. The hydrogels are systems with a great scientific-technical interest, since they combine a very high porosity and a typical mechanical behavior of viscoelastic solid. Consequently, as long as they possess adequate biocompatibility, hydrogels can mimic the extracellular matrix of living tissues better than any other type of synthetic biomaterial. More…